Learning 3-D

[Reece L Gibson]

I am always interested in how other Instructors

break the 3-D barrier for thier students, getting them to understand the different C-Planes and how and when to use them. Hopefully V9 will aide with the new WCS feature.

[Mariana Lendel]

I am teaching 3D Wireframe in one-day session (7 hours).I create one cube with circles on each face of the cube to explain the standard Cplanes and the construction depth. Using other drawings, I demonstrate how to establish the Cplane with Entity, Rotate and Normal commands.

I tried to illustrate this in the Instructor Guide from In-House . The students also have to draw 10 drawings using these commands.

I am also looking for better ideas.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

I personally try to get the student to think about and visualize the object in terms of how it occupies space. The first 3-D/Construction Plane project I have my students do is to create a 6x4x2 Cube. How they get there is up to them. Xform join, Create rectangle, etc..., then I have them create letters identifuing the Top, Front, Rt. Side, Lt. Side and bottom, having them change planes and depths along the way. This has been the most effective for me so far but I too am lookin forward to see how other instructors face this challenge.

[Mariana Lendel]

I liked the idea of creating words to identify each Cplane, instead of the arcs. Thanks James.

[Claude Pelosse]

Hi James !!!!

I like the way you see how to teach 3-D geometry.

Do you have any material on this and if so, could you please send me a copy ?

Thanks...

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Sure, I'd be happy to send what I have to any instructor. E-Mail me privately and give me an addresss to send you the material. There are some papers, but wait, what's this I see on top of my computer case? A scanner? Give me a week to get stuff scanned and I'll compile it and e-mail it to you. I forgot I have a scanner.

Below you will find a link to the tutorial we use. It's very good. I don't know who created it otherwise I'd give them props here.

Mastercam_3-D.zip

If you have any problems downloading it, let me know. I posted it here in the FTP because I only have a dialup connection and it would take forever to upload it for the couple of requests I recieve for it every day. Enjoy.

[ 12-20-2001: Message edited by: James Meyette ]

[P_Scott]

We have also added dimensions to our "cube with words diagram" to help with the Cplane and depth association. Creating dimensions in the Isometric Gview and Cplane make this more visual when the model is "spun" in the Dynamic view. It may help to draw the cube as just lines first, instead of allowing the student to produce it their own way. Start them walking and they will run on their own. I also like to use the "paper and pencil" analogy when dicussing Cplanes. The XY axes make up a piece of paper and the Z axis is the pencil which is used to draw on the paper.